kajacana

I want to love this one but it lands somewhere around a 6 out of 10 for me.

In the imp: Super light. I can smell the tea and that's about it.

Wet on skin: If I could have this phase last a long time, this scent would be perfect for me. I recognize some Dorian-like tea, only without the lemon and with the addition of pepper. It's really soft and nice.

Dry on skin: Goes back to being very light, barely there. The nice bite of the pepper and the smoothness of the tea completely disappear, leaving me with a pleasant but unremarkable almost-floral-but-not-quite smell. Bummer.

Can I try?!

I'm 25 years old, 5'1", brunette - I look young and always get carded. Very much the quiet and observant type - people usually don't realize how much I'm taking in/mentally processing until suddenly I say something really witty or profound - I don't say much, but what I do say is meaningful. I tend to be very "tough love" when giving advice or opinions - I'm straightforward and hate to sugarcoat things just to make someone feel better. I can be a complete smartass and even a little mean sometimes, but I have an empathetic streak that runs deep. I probably spend more time joking around than being serious - when I'm around my friends or coworkers, I tend to lapse into singing, funny voices, lots of swearing, and making jokes about everything. I'm pretty fun once you get to know me but I definitely have a thick outer shell. I'll never be the first one dancing or contributing to a conversation among strangers, but once I get to know you I'm likely to be the perfect partner in crime for all types of shenanigans. Among my coworkers I'm clearly the "whimsical" one, as they never stop reminding me.

Other stuff: I'm a zookeeper so obviously I love animals (cats of all sizes are kind of my area of specialization). I love to read and write fiction, and I find the presence of books very comforting - let me loose in a used bookstore and I'll be content for hours. I'm perfectly comfortable spending time by myself, and most nights after work I prefer to just unwind at home with a book or some TV, but I do enjoy the occasional night out, and I do love me some strong drinks! My room and my car are always messy. I love eye makeup and bright nail polish, and my clothes are usually dark and fairly casual.

I've only tried a small fraction of BPAL scents, but my favorites so far are: Dorian, The Apothecary, Akuma, Hellcat, and Glasgow. I tend to steer clear of anything too heavy or too floral, but I'm open to new possibilities.

(Any suggestions are welcome, but I'm especially interested in possible Carnival options since rumors are strong that it might be coming back sometime soon and I've never tried anything from the CD!)

Thanks!

I was nervous about this one, because normally any trace of almond turns cloying and gross on me. In the imp, I don't like Hellcat - it's all sour cherry, which I'm assuming is the almond factor.

But once I put it on, the hazelnut and buttercream and rum take over. It's sweet and warm, almost like a foody candle, without actually smelling like something I would want to eat. It reminds me of a hot alcoholic drink with all the sharpness of the alcohol totally removed - for some reason the boozy factor is almost undetectable on me. I get hints of cinnamon as well - not Red Hot candy cinnamon, more like a trace of cinnamon in a cookie.

Okay - Hellcat is as close as you can get to a hazelnut sugar cookie dipped in warm spiced rum, without making you want to eat your own arm. I really like this one!

Wow this thread is old! But I was searching the forum for "Aveda," hoping to find a BPAL that smells like the Aveda Shampure Candle. If you've ever been to an Aveda salon or store, you'll know what I'm talking about - there's just this general, unmistakable Aveda smell that's sort of herbal, sort of flowery, vaguely spicy, overall very fresh and calming. Anyone want to second the recommendations that are already here, or have any new Aveda-esque BPALs come out in the 3 years since this thread was last active?